Piccoli 2012 Free Radic Biol Med
| Piccoli C, D'Aprile A, Scrima R, Ambrosi L, Zefferino R, Capitanio N (2012) Subcytotoxic mercury chloride inhibits gap junction intercellular communication by a redox- and phosphorylation-mediated mechanism. Free Radic Biol Med 52: 916-927. |
Piccoli C, D'Aprile A, Scrima R, Ambrosi L, Zefferino R, Capitanio N (2012) Free Radic Biol Med
Abstract: Gap junctions play a central role in coordinating intercellular signal-transduction pathways to control tissue homeostasis. Deregulation of gap junctional intercellular communication is a common phenotype of cancer cells and supports its involvement in the carcinogenesis process. Many carcinogens, like environmental heavy-metal chemical pollutants, are known to activate various signal transduction mechanisms and modulate GJIC. They act as tumor promoters on preexisting "initiated" cells, rather than as genotoxic initiators, albeit their mode of action is often unknown. In this study we investigated the effect of Hg(II) (HgCl(2)) on GJIC in cultured human keratinocytes. It is shown that subcytotoxic concentrations of HgCl(2) as low as 10 nM cause inhibition of the GJIC, assessed by dye transfer assay, despite enhanced expression of connexins. In addition, HgCl(2)-treated keratinocytes exhibited a decrease of free thiols and accumulation of mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species, albeit no effect on the respiratory chain activity was observed. Treatment of HgCl(2)-exposed keratinocytes with the PKC inhibitor calphostin C and with all-trans retinoic acid resulted in rescue of the mitochondrial ROS overproduction and full recovery of the GJIC. Similar results were obtained with the PKA activator db-cAMP. Overall, the presented results support a cross-talk between the altered intracellular redox tone and PKA- and PKC-mediated signaling in HgCl(2)-challenged keratinocytes. These events, although not cytotoxic, lead to inhibition of GJIC and possibly to carcinogenic priming. • Keywords: heavy-metal chemical pollutants, keratinocytes, HgCl(2)
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Stress:Cancer; Apoptosis; Cytochrome c"Cancer; Apoptosis; Cytochrome c" is not in the list (Cell death, Cryopreservation, Ischemia-reperfusion, Permeability transition, Oxidative stress;RONS, Temperature, Hypoxia, Mitochondrial disease) of allowed values for the "Stress" property. Organism: Human Tissue;cell: z in prep"z in prep" is not in the list (Heart, Skeletal muscle, Nervous system, Liver, Kidney, Lung;gill, Islet cell;pancreas;thymus, Endothelial;epithelial;mesothelial cell, Blood cells, Fat, ...) of allowed values for the "Tissue and cell" property. Preparation: z in prep"z in prep" is not in the list (Intact organism, Intact organ, Permeabilized cells, Permeabilized tissue, Homogenate, Isolated mitochondria, SMP, Chloroplasts, Enzyme, Oxidase;biochemical oxidation, ...) of allowed values for the "Preparation" property. Enzyme: z in prep"z in prep" is not in the list (Adenine nucleotide translocase, Complex I, Complex II;succinate dehydrogenase, Complex III, Complex IV;cytochrome c oxidase, Complex V;ATP synthase, Inner mt-membrane transporter, Marker enzyme, Supercomplex, TCA cycle and matrix dehydrogenases, ...) of allowed values for the "Enzyme" property. Regulation: z in prep"z in prep" is not in the list (Aerobic glycolysis, ADP, ATP, ATP production, AMP, Calcium, Coupling efficiency;uncoupling, Cyt c, Flux control, Inhibitor, ...) of allowed values for the "Respiration and regulation" property.
HRR: Oxygraph-2k
